I had a quick 2 days to visit Seville, it was going to be such a quick trip I almost decided to just skip Seville and go straight to Barcelona…I’m so happy I took a stop in Seville Spain, and I suggest you do to.

Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Seville

Seville is one of the most exciting and beautiful areas of Spain.

Located on River Guadalquivir named after ‘Hispalis’ (Roman origin). Seville has so much to offer and the history an iconic representation of architectural relics by Moorish Almohad dynasty. You can explore most of the city just walking around, and two days will allow you to get the vibe of the city, the taste of the cuisine, of the history and art.

This is the view from the Jewish Quarter looking at the Cathedral of Seville

Within a 5 minute walk of our hotel.

So easy to experience the taste of tapas from many of its outstanding restaurants. There are so many scattered around the city, flamenco is everywhere and you can catch some of the best flamenco shows to be seen in Spain. Horse drawn buggies crowd the streets hop in one to view the architecture everywhere you look will take your breath away landmarks, fountains, squares, gardens, and sculptures. We had 2 days and we really felt we were able to capture the feel and history of the city.

The Alcazar of Seville is a great spot to see and learn about the history of the kings, and royal families

While planning to visit Seville, try to stay at the Hotel Alfonso.

Save up some extra money for one of the best & most interesting hotels in Europe. We booked the perfect room in Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Moorish style royal palace dating back to 1929. This exquisite hotel provides delicious and visually beautify traditional breakfast. From the lush garden view, private terraces and elegant Juliet balconies these hotel staples make your trip priceless.

Hotel Alfonso XIII is a historic hotel in Seville, Spain, located on Calle San Fernando.

Take the Hotel Tour.

My girlfriend Pam had stayed the year before and mentioned I should take the hotel tour, it’s free and there is so much to see just in the hotel. As you will see from the below photo our tour guide was the same one my friend had almost 2 years before us. Even if you are not able to stay at the hotel, do spare some time to enjoy a cocktail, grab breakfast in the garden or have a late lunch there, because they offer free hotel tour after 3 o’clock.

The Hotel Alfonso tour guide 3:00

Start at the Real Alcazar.

Once in Seville, start your visit at Real Alcazar. It is a world heritage site, a royal palace originally constructed during Moorish Muslim reign. This place is an amazing depiction of Mudejar architecture, which beautifully blends Islamic architectural elements with local materials. Rising arches, decorative courtyards and amazing intricate details on the wall simply takes your breath away. Alcazar of Seville combines influences from Renaissance period, late Middle Ages, Baroque and Gothic culture.

Walking toward on of the gardens – Reales Alcázares de Sevilla” or “Royal Alcazars

There are ten major zones of in the Alcazar of Seville, each of which signifies art forms from different cultures. There are hidden courtyards, baths, tropical gardens, walkways and patios which simply have to be seen.

The Cathedral of Saint Mary -Built on the site of a grand Almohad Mosque, Seville’s cathedral was built to demonstrate the city’s power and wealth

Seville’s Cathedral at night

The Cathedral is beautiful night and day.

Once done with Alcazar of Seville (which will take a bit of time), walk across the street and visit the Seville Cathedral. Also known as Cathedral of Saint Mary with majestic appeal and bell tower. It is the third-largest church in the world, which depicts city’s wealth during Reconquista years in 1248. You won’t be able to explore this cathedral in one day as it has eighty chapels and five hundred masses. Since we were short on time we just did some of the highlights and then spent time reading more about it online. The inside of this cathedral is a never-ending chronicle, of gothic arches, sculptures of archangels, stain glass artwork on windows, cross vaults on ceilings and so much more.

Food, shopping, tapas, and more in the Jewish Quarter.

Just around the bend back towards the Alcazar is an area known as the Jewish Quarter. Here you will find many interesting gift shops, restaurants, and some other hidden off the beaten path sights. Enjoy the area and you can find great little places that serve tapas, so grab a bite and enjoy.

Little shops around the town

Great Shopping.

The main shopping area of Seville is also filled with history, restaurants, shops, and more tapas. At night you can find lots of spots to sit and take in the view of the Cathedral while enjoying some of the best sangria you may ever have.

The heart of Seville’s shopping district is Calle Sierpes

You can also catch many Flamenco shows; many change each night so even if you go back to the same place you may see different dancers.A short carriage ride away from Seville cathedral is Casa de Pilatos, an Andalusian style palace which is now a permanent residence of Medinaceli Dukes.

La Casa de Pilatos is an Andalusian palace in Seville, Spain

“Metropol Parasol is a wooden structure located at La Encarnación square, in the old quarter of Seville, Spain. … The structure consists of six parasols in the form of giant mushrooms”

“The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa, in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929″Seville is also known for serene towns located on its outskirts. Do not forget to visit Triana, a small town located across the bridge. The sight of sunset on stone pavements and a wonderful food market nearby will fulfill your travel appetite.

I recently had a quick few days in Las Vegas for a conference. I wanted to travel with a simple easy wardrobe that I could mix and match. I looked to pack a few pieces that could be dressy, casual, easy to layer, and items that I didn’t have to worry about wrinkles.

Love this simple pop of bright pink top – you can dress it up or down. Here I have it with a simple pair of jeans, faded black.

This silky black top can be worn for a nice dinner, off to a show, in a club. It gives you a lot of room to enjoy the food you may want to try in the restaurant. If you spill on it no worries, to make sure it’s wrinkle free when you arrive just hang it in the bathroom, and boom it’s ready to wear.

A great silky black top, with a dark dressy pair of jeans. Gold jewelry.

Love this simple clean look, with a pop of color in the red jeans. This black top is easy to layer and again you can dress it up or down. Looks very classy with the silver chain.

This is a great look to walk around the town. You can layer it up when your get a chill, and strip it down if you get hot walking in the warm Vegas air.

This is a great clean and classy look – I paired it with a black blazer and it was ready for business. A crisp white shirt, dark jeans, and high heals.

I love this look, it’s amazing that jeans with these big rips can actually be considered dressy. This is my casual travel look when I fly, I layer a soft gray sweater over this, and also carry and wear my big gray poncho – pictured below. I wear my easy gray slip on shoes for going through the TSA lines, easy to slip my shoes on and off.

This photo was taken on a recent trip to NYC not Las Vegas, but I wanted to include it because you can see I have my gray poncho on. It’s like a big warm blanket perfect to travel on a plane with.

Food , Food, Food, and more food. Make sure you come to Las Vegas hungry, because the selection of food you will find is truly amazing. What makes the Las Vegas food scene different from Chicago, LA, New York is the condensed strip 4.1 mile area where all the hotels and casinos, shops, restaurants, attractions can be found.

Las Vegas has more than 330 restaurants on the world-famous strip. What used to be known as the land of buffets and diners, Las Vegas has discovered that the way to a man or woman’s cash can also be found through the taste buds. Today variety of cuisine, talent of innovative chefs, and clients looking for cuisine that’s artsy and daring.

The rise of the celebrity and world-famous chefs makes Las Vegas a go to location to launch a spot for one of their top-notch restaurants.

Mario Batalia

Wolfgang Puck

Bouchon by Chef Thomas Keller

Mesa Grill by Chef Bobby Flay

Mr. Chow by Restaurateur Mr. Chow

Giada by Giada De Laurentiis

Table 10 by Emeril Lagasse

Heritage Steak by Tom Colicchio

Go to Las Vegas where it’s easy to get into these restaurants, parking is easy, and when you walk out you have a whole world that never sleeps. When you visit LA you need to travel in a car, or limo to try a selection of food from these different chefs, in NYC you could walk, to find the vast selection of selections and choices as you do walking up and down the Las Vegas Strip.

I have taken a food tour in the past and being on a guided tour is where you get the history, the great gossip, background stories, fun facts, you can meet some of the chefs, and taste an amazing selection of food. If you have the time I suggest a food tour, and now they have many to choose from.

This past trip, I had limited time so I decided to sample some small bites, and big flavors in a few of my past favorite restaurants. I choose them based on the location to where I was staying, the location of where the restaurant was based on shopping, site seeing, and going to get a good meal.

The portions are big, the cost is reasonable, and the atmosphere is outstanding so get ready to enjoy your meal, and after you’ll be perfectly placed to continue your night with friends, as well as the best people watching, lounges and late-night entertainment.

Where I ate this time

MICHAEL MINA – Seafood and american cuisine. The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, adjacent to Café Bellagio.

Wolfgang Puck- CUT Las Vegas The Grand Canal Shoppes

The Country Club – Wynn 19th hole

The Palm – Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace

LAVO Italian Restaurant – entry of Palazzo

A traveling “Cirque du Soleil has constantly sought to evoke the imagination, invoke the senses and provoke the emotions of people around the world” spotted at the NADA convention in Las Vegas

The Plaza Hotel

It’s considered the ‘Mona Lisa’ of hotels. It was featured in pop culture movies and books such as Eloise, Home Alone and The Great Gatsby. This grand hotel is located right in off Central Park. The current GOP front-runner used to own it.

From the greeting staff to the waiters, they all were helpful , warm, and friendly. Exceptional customer service.

That’s right: The Plaza Hotel! I had the privilege of staying at one of New York’s most iconic landmarks. The Plaza Hotel has a long history of being the backdrop to some of the country’s biggest events and celebrations. Immediately when you’re greeted by the bellhop, walk through the marble encrusted lobby, and check in with the concierge, you can sense The Plaza Hotel is more than just a place to rest your head at night.

The Rose Club, embodying the grandeur of The Plaza with a splash of contemporary style and spirit, overlooks the stunning new Fifth Avenue lobby

During my two night stay, I enjoyed all of the luxuries The Plaza Hotel had to offer. Sitting on Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman is only a two minute walk away. With the sun shining, and temperature in the mid 70s, I was able to enjoy a nice walk around the reservoirs, pavilions and fountains of Central Park.

Setting the standard for luxury for more than a century, The Plaza Hotel New York is a testament to timeless elegance.

Another highlight to The Plaza Hotel was the food hall. I did not have to travel far from my room to get a taste of New York. There were many diverse options such as Chi Dumplings & Noodles, Pizza Rollio, and Luke’s Lobster. I decided to go with something a little more traditional, but, delicious nonetheless.

If you ever get a chance to stay at The Plaza Hotel, be check out all of the great sights and scenes. This Boomfluent had a 5 Start Stay and the location, the food, the service, and the great people watching made it even worth it.

Located on Concourse level, The Plaza Food Hall offers a collection of fine food purveyors, as well as counter-style dining options. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner I had a classic Lobster Cobb.

The Plaza Room features one King bed and is located on floors 5 – 19.

Bathroom is finished with inlaid “earth stone” mosaics and include a luxurious bathtub and separate shower. Among many splendid details are 24-carat gold-plated Sherle Wagner fixtures, as well as hand-crafted solid white marble vanities.

How much money have you spent on makeup – how about something not looking right once you get it home, but you save it , and think maybe next season. Did you know you should toss out your makeup before it’s all used up if it’s past a do not use time zone? I hate having to do that.

Here are a few tips to look for when making sure your makeup is safe to use. Products that touch your eyes and lips, these outdated products can be dangerous because they contain harmful bacteria.

I was not happy to toss all of this out – but I was also afraid my daughter might use something out of date so I did. Please check out your products with the above time line and get rid of what you don’t want.

Having twin boys in their junior year of college on a study abroad program has always been a dream of mine. Making one son study 4 years of French in high school, and the other Spanish has paid off. I’m off to Europe to visit one son in Paris and the other in Barcelona.

They are going to be my tour guides, I’m taking trains and small local planes to visit them. I was able to save a lot of money on my flights by being very flexible with my dates.

I’m traveling very frugal and light, I have to…did I mention I have twins doing study abroad?

Here are some easy packing trips, that will keep you in style, on time, warm, and your luggage bag light enough you can carry it.

1. Try to look for big space in a smaller bags, you can find many that are sturdy and have plenty of room. I packed this same amount in a carry on Osprey , as in this a light to check American Tourister bag.

Osprey luggage

This is a carry on..it fit as much as my checked bag…

American Tourister iLite

2. Use a packing cube or old fashion Zip plastic style bag. The key to fitting a lot in was I used many of those zip plastic bags to put my clothes in and suck the air out, I looked for clothes that I can layer, rinse and wash, and I wore my heavy items on the plane.

This all fit easy in both bags – Use Zip Plastic Bags to squeeze out air, save room

3. Stick to a color plan, but bring a few bright items to beak it up, dress it up, and layer on.

4. Should you go with the roll or fold? I say it depends on the item. I fold my jeans smash them in a Zip plastic bag, squeeze out the air and they are flat. If you try to roll the jeans they can take up a lot of room. I will save items to roll and pack in the sides and in-between items. I also will roll shoes together and again place in a plastic zip bag, and they will slide just about anyplace you need them to fit.

Zip Lock Bags, lot’s of items I can layer

5. Pop some color and fun with an extra sweater, or fun accessories like scarves, hats, hair items, belts, sunglasses, earrings, have fun they are easy to fit in small spaces but can bring a big impact.

With a selection of special box car shops, some NYC food trucks and I heard even the world famous #cronut by @DominiqueAnsel along with his new #magicsouffle wowed the crowd as they hit the Hudson side of New York City, for the opening party on the pier.

If you’re in NYC during Fashion Week, you need to get over and see how #OCBTW is showing their swanky sense of style.

Word had it that last night hosts @zanabayne@pendunyc rocked it by the river. Opening Ceremony By The Water #OCBTW made a splash at the Sunset Takeover with @TigerBeerUS pleasing the crowd – the music, food, and of course fashionable vibe at @SuperPierNYC made it another not to be missed OC happening

I know that Opening Ceremony has had pop-up’s in the past, here they are creating space and exposure for legendary brands we know, and notable new talent. What a wonderful addition to #NYFW with #OCBTH, a marketplace, showcasing celebrated and cutting edge together that’s what makes OC fresh and ultrasmart. For the next few days Sunset Takeovers is set to provide these unique up-and-coming designers, performers a chance to showcase their collections and talent.

A Tweet from @Openingceremony

Talent such as ZANA BAYNE and Todd Pendu who created a crowd-pleasing open at the SuperPier for #NYFW and OC fans alike.

I wished I could of gone for many reasons, but getting a chance to meet the fashionable famed boomers of http://idiosyncraticfashionistas.blogspot.com/ would of been worth the trip to NYC alone. Just in case you don’t know who they are here is a bit from their about me page, ” GROWING OLD WITH VERVE ‘Growing old gracefully’ is an outdated concept. We prefer ‘growing old with verve’. This blog documents our efforts to live up to that motto, in photos and essays. We embrace our gray hair, while sharing the playground nicely with our younger siblings”

I can’t wait to read their post on the party…I want to thank Zacq for letting me know about these amazing women in NYC, and the photos for this post.

My son the artist who is also working at NYC Fashion week, taking photos for me, and giving me the social scoop.

So here I am in Chicago following #NYCFW New York City Fashion week. I hope that next year this boomer can make the time to get trendy and get over to NYC for Fashion Week, or at least a party or two…..and a #cronut of course.

I loved my meal at “Diner” http://dinernyc.com in Brooklyn, as a #Boomfluent boomer I have had my share of diner food. When my son suggested we try it, I was a little hesitant, Being that this is Brooklyn and located in yet another trendy area I knew that it was going to be a bit pricey and may not fill me up.

My son and his girlfriend who live in the area know that breakfast is my favorite meal and I can be a bit particular when it comes to my brunch, good thing they took me because, you kinda have to know where it is. It has just a tiny sign on a side door. I think it used to and old diner car, I loved the vibe, but it can feel a bit tight in the retro bar area.

Diner has been in Brooklyn for a while 1999 and is part of the Marlow & Sons, Daughter, Diner group. Once inside Diner is a cozy place. http://www.marlowgoods.com/about .

Diner part of the Marlow Family – Brooklyn

When we arrived there was a wait but we were lucky it was a nice day, and decided to wait for a table to sit outside, inside it’s a pretty tight squeeze, but certainly the people watching makes up for that.

This area is getting more gentrified and there were enough cute little shops to keep us occupied as we waited.

Diner is known to have a changing menu filled with fresh and seasonal items.

Homemade lemon scone, and also a side dish of tomatoes with sardines The server wrote out the menu on the paper .

We could not wait to try the homemade lemon scone, and also a side dish of tomatoes with sardines. I know a strange combination but we were hungry and she made them each sound so good and special. The scone was served warm with cream and was amazing. The Sardines might have been better if not for the Mimosa I was having.

The real treat was in our main dishes. I had the perfectly Poached eggs atop fresh spinach on a toasted Baguette, yum it was cooked perfect, light fresh one of the best egg sandwiches I have ever had, I could have had two.

Best Poached egg sandwich ever Diner Brooklyn

My Son tired Poached eggs served over crusty toasted bread with sliced onion with veggies in a light sauce.

Poached eggs, with fresh veggies and beans

I loved everything about this restaurant – the food was so fresh and tasted great, the vibe was retro and relaxing, and the drinks amazing. I can’t wait to go back, and I live in Chicago.